Rachel is here today with a tutorial that is so simple, yet one that I’ve wanted to have on the blog for ages! I’m so glad she wrote this dropped sleeve Union tutorial for us, I’m sure you’ll all love it as much as I do! It’s the easiest way to change up your Union St. Tee for a whole new look!
I’ve been seeing several cute slight drop sleeve shirt floating around the world wide interweb, and I thought it was time to give it a go. I’m pleased with how this shirt turned out and I hope this little tutorial is helpful for you. It took 3 drafts to figure out the measurements I wanted so now I have 3 versions to add to the wardrobe! Hopefully this tutorial can help you take some of the guessing out of the process, if you want a similar look using the Union St. Tee.
I used a dreamy modal from Raspberry Creek fabrics for this white version. The grey version is a random jersey I found in a box somewhere in LA, and I don’t know the exact contents of it.
Armscye Adjustments:
- Continue shoulder slant and measure out 3 inches. This could be changed based on how dramatic you want the drop sleeve.
- Measure down 1 inch.
- Curve the shoulder from old shoulder end to the new mark – 3 inches out, and 1 inch down.
- Lower underarm armscye point by 1 inch.
- Trying to keep the upper shoulder point as close to 90 degrees as possible, curve to create a new smooth armscye.
- Trim your new pattern pieces.
Tip: Try to keep your original armscye measurement and your new armscye measurement the same. Although you’re changing the shape, the measurement can still be the same.
Sleeve Adjustments:
- Re shape your sleeve shape while maintaining the overall length measurement of the sleeve cap. You will do this by lowering the cap height and adding width to the ends.
- I measured down 2 inches, and added about 1 inch on each of the sides.
- Trim your new pattern pieces and sew up as usual.
Thanks for following along, and happy sewing friends!
Thank you so much for this tutorial Rachel! Given that my favorite adjective for a tee is “slouchy”, this fits perfectly into my wardrobe!
